Again this week no rocket or mortar shell hits were identified in Israeli territory. An IDF force was attacked by sniper fire near the border fence in the central Gaza Strip. An officer and a soldier were wounded.

The Israeli security forces recently exposed a number of terrorist networks operating in the Hebron district. One of the was making preparations to infiltrate Kiryat Arba to abduct or murder a local resident. A terrorist cell which attacked an Israeli vehicle with a ring of IEDs was exposed in southern Mt. Hebron.

The Turkish media reported that the Turkish attorney general had issued indictments against four IDF commanders who had been involved in the events aboard the Mavi Marmara. The indictments falsely claimed that the passengers aboard the ship had been armed with "plastic flagpoles, spoons and forks" [In reality, the IHH operatives aboard were armed with deadly cold offensive weapons and at least one or two guns].

This past week no rocket or mortar shell hits were identified in Israel territory. The figures for March include 50 rockets intercepted and destroyed by the Iron Dome aerial defense system during the most recent round of escalation. In April three rockets were fired at Israel's southernmost city of Eilat.

IDF Force Attacked by Sniper Fire

On May 23 Palestinian snipers shot at an IDF force engaged in routine counterterrorism activities near the security fence near Kissufim in the central Gaza Strip. The attack wounded one officer and one soldier, who were evacuated to a hospital for treatment. The force returned the terrorists' fire (IDF Spokesman, May 23, 2012).

This past week violent demonstrations were held at the traditional friction spots throughout Judea and Samaria, especially in the villages of Bila'in, Nili'in and Nebi Saleh. Rioters threw stones at IDF forces, which in certain instances used riot control equipment to disperse the demonstration. The Palestinian media reported that three youths in Nebi Saleh had inhaled tear gas (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, May 26, 2012).

Another Violent Confrontation between Palestinians and Settlers from Izhar

On May 26 there was a violent confrontation between residents of the community of Izhar and local Palestinians. During the confrontation an Izhar resident shot at and critically wounded a Palestinian youth from the village of 'Urif (south of Nablus). The Israeli said he saw the Palestinian had a knife, making him fear for his life. Additional Israeli security forces were deployed to the area following the incident (Ynet, May 26, 2012).

Jibrin al-Bakri, governor of the Nablus district, said that the Palestinian Authority was making an effort to recruit world public opinion against the activities of the Israeli settlers in the Nablus region who, he claimed, "have the backing of the Israeli government" (Al-Quds, May 27, 2012).

Terrorist Cells Exposed 2

In recent weeks the Israeli security forces exposed a number of terrorist networks and cells operating in the Hebron area.

The Israeli security forces detained three Hamas terrorist operatives, residents of Hebron. The cell was headed by Muataz Suleiman Muhammad Qawasmeh, a Hamas operative, who has been imprisoned in Israel a number of times. He aided and abetted his brother Sa'id, who was involved in directing the terrorist squad which carried out the suicide bombing attack in the southern Israeli city of Dimona in February 2008. 3

During interrogation the three admitted they had prepared IEDs and detonated them near the fence surrounding Kiryat Arba in order to examine the IDF's response. They placed the IEDs as part of a plan to infiltrate the community and abduct or murder a local resident. In a number of other incidents the three threw Molotov cocktails at the community of Givat Harsina.

Apprehension of the Terrorist Squad Attacking an Israeli Vehicle

On April 19 a ring of IEDs was detonated as an attack on Israeli vehicle near the village of Yattah in southern Mt. Hebron. The attackers laid a number of IEDs which were supposed to be detonated with cell phones. There were no casualties and no damage was done. Following an investigation, two residents of Yattah who had manufactured the IEDs were detained. The two also admitted that they had manufactured many IEDs and had detonated one in 2007. They also participated in a number of stone-throwing attacks.

The remains of cell phones used to detonate the IEDs near Yattah (Photo courtesy of the Israel Security Agency).

The Israel Security Agency apprehended a four-man Palestinian terrorist cell which had participated in many stone-throwing attacks. The cell had thrown stones from a moving vehicle, targeting IDF forces and Israeli civilians in the region on Halhoul, north of Hebron. One of the terrorists was the son of Muhammad Jamal Natshe, a senior Hamas figure imprisoned in Israel.

Egyptian Security Forces Expose a Weapons Meant for the Gaza Strip

The Egyptian security forces exposed a large weapons store in one of the villages near Damietta, a city in the northeastern Nile Delta near the sea. The weapons came from Libya and were apparently meant for Hamas, to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip through the tunnels. There were about 100 rockets, hand grenades, mortar shells and automatic weapons (Al-Wafd portal, May 20, 2012).

Palestinian Hunger Strike

Two weeks after the Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israeli facilities ended their hunger strike, the high committee of the hunger strike leadership issued an official report claiming that Israel was delaying the implementation of the agreement. According to the report's claims, the Israel Prison Authority has delayed releasing prisoners from separate facilities into the general prison wings, delayed improvements in the prisoners' conditions and meetings with with the leaders of the strike. The committee threatened that if the articles of the understandings were not met, the hunger strike would be resumed (Ahrar Waladna website, May 27, 2012).

Fatah-Hamas Attempts Reconcilliation

Two weeks after the Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israeli facilities ended their hunger strike, the high committee of the hunger strike leadership issued an official report claiming that Israel was delaying the implementation of the agreement. According to the report's claims, the Israel Prison Authority has delayed releasing prisoners from separate facilities into the general prison wings, delayed improvements in the prisoners' conditions and meetings with with the leaders of the strike. The committee threatened that if the articles of the understandings were not met, the hunger strike would be resumed (Ahrar Waladna website, May 27, 2012).

Remarks Made by Mahmoud Abbas

Mahmoud Abbas told a Lebanese newspaper that the Israeli prime minister's answer to the Palestinian Authority's letter had brought the peace process to a dead end. He said that the Palestinians were currently waiting for a response from the American administration, after which they would renew their appeal to the UN for the admission of Palestine to the UN as a full member (Al-Nahar, May 28, 2012).

3 The suicide bombing attack, carried out by two suicide bombers in the center of the southern Israeli city of Dimona on February 4, 2008, killed a civilian woman and wounded 38 other Israelis. Sa'id Qawasmeh was one of the terrorists released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal and expelled to the Gaza Strip.

4 A previous attempt to sabotage an Israeli cultural event was made in London on September 1, 2011, during a performance of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra at a BBC concert. For further information see the September 19, 2011 bulletin "Premeditated heckling attempts to disrupt a performance of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in London" at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/article/17848.